Stephen Harper, Canada’s eccentric prime minister, claims to be conducting politics, including foreign policy, according to the “way of Jesus.” However, it is amply clear that this man and his policies represent the exact anti-thesis of every sublime Christian ideal.

A few weeks ago, Harper, having received a telephone call from Israel’s hawkish Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, insisted that no mention of Israel’s pre-1967 borders be made in the G8 Summit leaders’ final communiqué.

Harper’s “intervention” collided with the views of all other leaders who wanted the border line to be specifically mentioned. It also contravened the positions of the rest of the international community.

One European diplomat reportedly remarked that “Canadians were really very adamant, even though Obama expressly referred to the 1967 borders in his speech last week.”

Canada used to be a decent state that jealously safeguarded human rights and international law.

For many years the North American country represented a main destination for individuals and groups seeking redress after being wronged by despotic and tyrannical powers.

However, thanks to the monomaniac discourse of Mr Harper and the coteries of obscurant evangelicals around him, Canada has effectively become a zealous supporter of apartheid in Palestine-Israel, a defender of ethnic cleansing and justifier of scandalous human rights violations.

Harper and cohorts claim, obviously mendaciously, that supporting Israel’s systematic oppression against defenceless Palestinians is a religious duty mandated by the Bible, since Israel allegedly represents God on earth and that standing against or even criticising the Jewish nation-state goes, therefore, against the will of the Almighty.

For those who really understand the message of Christ, this is an obscene distortion of true Christian ideals, which urge Christians to stand for justice, to be on the side of the poor, the weak and the oppressed.

It doesn’t seem to matter to Harper and his government that Israeli policies and actions Canada is asked to support are decidedly evil, immoral, illegal and, in many cases, go beyond the pale of human decency.

It doesn’t matter that some of these acts would be absolutely and totally viewed as felonious and criminal according to Canadian laws. In the final analysis what is important for these fanatical Israel-firsters is to support Israel, whether right or wrong, no matter what Israel says or does. This abhorrent fanaticism has a name: moral blindness – and it is done in Jesus’ name.

I would like to remind Mr Harper, if he is prone to logic, that no previous Canadian governments recognised the legitimacy of the Israeli occupation that started in 1967. Even today, the Canadian Justice System refuses to recognise East Jerusalem as part of Israel. So, why this mindless, unethical and evil embrace of Israeli recalcitrance?

Interestingly, Harper’s government’s real stance on the 1967 borders has nothing to do with any objective viewpoint pertaining to the conflict.

Under the Harper administration, Canada doesn’t even say where the future borders between Israel and a putative Palestinian state should lie. In fact, Harper’s Canada doesn’t even believe in the two-state solution, whereby a viable Palestinian state, with contiguous borders, could be established on the West Bank.

Canada’s true, undeclared stance under this pseudo-Christian bigot is actually the evangelical stance, namely that those non-Jews, including thousands of Christians, have no right to human rights, political rights, dignity and civil liberties in Israel.

And in case one tries to challenge Canada’s premier on his manifestly oblique understanding of Christian values, let alone his scandalously skewed understanding of the Arab-Israeli conflict, he doesn’t hesitate to quote from the the Old and New Testaments of the bible.

Within a minute he can produce a text proving that non-Jews, presumably including thousands of Christians, living under the Jewish rule have to resign to a status of “wood hewers and water carriers” in the service of the Master Race, or Chosen People. So, here we have a classical example, vintage Canada, of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, being used to promote Israel’s lebensraum policies.

Indeed, in light of the ideological underpinning of his foolish embrace of Israeli fascism and jingoism, one can safely conclude that Mr Harper is effectively adopting the most racist policies of the Israeli right, including that of the settler groups, which openly offer Palestinians, including Christians, three choices: Enslavement as water carriers and wood-hewers, expulsion or Old-Testament-style physical extermination.

In his ostensibly infinite ignorance of the basic tenets of Christianity, Harper claims that the Almighty wholeheartedly supports the nearly genocidal geopolitical goals of the Israeli government. According to him, the Lord, who is portrayed as an avaricious real estate dealer, is an enthusiastic advocate of Israeli “lebensraum” policy in the West Bank and beyond.

Under this light, Christians have to back Israel unhesitatingly and under all circumstances, irrespective of the crimes against humanity Israel is committing non-stop against the virtually defenceless Palestinians.

Of course, Harper may continue to invoke Jesus to justify his un-Christian and immoral policies toward the Palestinian plight; policies that Christ would never support if only because they contradict basic morality.

Indeed, Jesus Christ, who some settler leaders openly and shamelessly refer to as the “Hitler of Bethlehem,” would be hounded and perhaps killed by the very same people Mr Harper is now supporting heart and soul.

But, alas, fanatics don’t hold ideas, they are held by them.

Besides, invoking Jesus doesn’t mean that one is really following Jesus’ ideals. Throughout history, many evil men, who were notorious agents of inequity and oppression, thought or gave the impression that they were serving the Lord when, in fact, they were doing just the opposite.

I have no doubt in my mind that Harper and his government are doing just that.

Share this:

Like this:

Related

14 Comments

[…] In the final analysis what is important for these fanatical Israel-firsters is to support Israel, whether right or wrong, no matter what Israel says or does. This abhorrent fanaticism has a name: moral blindness – and it is done in Jesus’ name. Continue […]

Derek said,

“Besides, invoking Jesus doesn’t mean that one is really following Jesus’ ideals. Throughout history, many evil men, who were notorious agents of inequity and oppression, thought or gave the impression that they were serving the Lord when, in fact, they were doing just the opposite.”

You hit the nail on the head there. False prophets and all that. This “israel” is certainly nothing biblical and goes totally against Christian theology.

According to the Cistercian writer Caesar of Heisterbach, (one of the leaders of the Crusader army at the siege of Béziers in 1209), when asked by a Crusader how to distinguish the Cathars from the Catholics, papal legate Arnaul Amalric answered:

“Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius” (Kill them all. For the Lord knoweth them that are His.)

I had always taken this to be the darkest hour of Christianity. Obviously, I was wrong.

FreePalestine said,

It’s sad that the conservative party will remain in power despite the vote of no-confidence just a couple months prior.

Harper even looks like a typical god-fearing Evangelical. I wonder if they all share common genetic traits.

The whole rapturous Evangelical belief of Israel (the militarized modern illegal occupying power) fulfilling biblical prophecies is a modern invention too. Sadly, the Evangelicals are the true face of Zionism. The powerful Zionist lobbies might go after wealthy Jewish money to be used for Zio-approved candidates, but their heart is not Jewish but rather Evangelical Protestant Christian. Coincidental, colonists in all parts of the globe the past few hundred years (North America, North Ireland, Australia, South Africa, etc.) are mainly Protestants. Maybe it’s not a coincidence at all. They also share a colonial history of displacing indigenous people with the Israelis too.

tr99 said,

Harper won his majority Gov’t by getting a mere 8% MORE VOTES THAN LAST TIME , THIS GAVE HIM 22 MORE SEATS!!! so don’t for a moment believe Canadians are gung ho Israeli/Zioinsts. Harper speaks for Harper and no one else, more people voted against him than for him, but our voting distribution system allows a majority with only 30-40 % of the vote.

lesgup said,

BIG SURPRISE., Stephen Harper, the ipso facto Canadian dictator, is an adamant Israel firster and what is claimed to be a “Christian Zionist”, meaning he is more Zionist than Christian, so the crossing the border of this new aged racism is of no great surprise. Ontario and Alberta gave Harper, the warmonger, a virtual dictatorship, hope they’re happy.

It is not only ironic to refer to the political actions of Prime Minister Harper and his denizens being reflective of the “way of Jesus”, it is ridiculous. The Lord said that a Christian would be “known by their fruit” – that their actions would be the indicator of where their hearts stood. Supporting the State of Israel, with its apartheid policies and openly genocidal programs against the Palestinian people cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, be something that Jesus would endorse – for someone to say that it is demonstrates that they know less than nothing about what the Lord came for and did while He was here.

For the most part, politics and religion do not mix (and true Christianity is NOT a religion – but that’s another essay for another time) – but – people who profess a profound faith may maintain their high values while carrying out their duties in office so long as they bear in mind the fact that their position is NOT to impose their beliefs on the constituency that put them into office (and those that did not), nor is it to rule as a theocracy: democracy is NOT theocracy – we have, in most democratic nations, something of a separation of church and state – and the more it is separated the better – they should be as far apart from each other as the north is from the south – and then farther again by half. Politics is about running the nation/city/state – religion – or faith – is about an individual’s spiritual connection to God. The two have nothing to do with each other.

Don’t get me wrong – I am a man of great faith, though I reject religion as absolute sin for the fact that it separates man from God. Religion has become a big business, raising billions of dollars, relishing its tax-free status, and living hand-in-hand with that which it is supposed to be diametrically opposed … in other words, hypocrisy from top to bottom – a money-making scam to make those in power richer – as usual.

If Prime Minister Harper really wants to lead in a “Christian” manner then all he has to do is start listening to the appeals of the people of Canada who have been calling for him to withdraw the troops from Afghanistan – and that’s just the tip of the ice burg. Social programs, health care … NOT buying the F-35 – all of these things – how would Jesus spend Canadian taxpayer money? On weapons? I wonder … not very hard – not.

Yes, it’s very difficult to imagine how Jesus would do something – but – if you believe that, again, you haven’t studied who He was/is and what He did when He was here. It’s actually a very easy question to answer. A lot easier than the Prime Minister would have us believe … and there’s no F-35 in the equation.

At one time, I actually respected Mr. Harper until…. he lost my trust and all integrity, in my eyes, when he stated that “Canada” would support Israel at all costs. Not sure if that is the quote but close enough for government work….lol. He does not speak for Canada obviously nor does he have any concerns for the documented war crimes and crimes against humanity that Israel continues to perpetrate against the Palestinian people. I am certain that the ones who are “coaching” Harper are the same ones who are “coaching” Gov. Perry and Walker and the rest of the elite’s stooges in Parliament and the Senate.

All in all, Harper hasn’t surprised many with his blind devotion to Israel…well, I say, pack them all up and send them over there. They love Israel so much, then move and support that country directly, instead of using our hard-earned tax dollars to do it.

Paul said,

Sadly, I admit, I was one of the deceived believers for many years, after attending church services of rigorous indoctrination about our ‘friends’ in the middle east. Don’t blame the sheep. don’t even blame the shepherds who suppose to lead the sheep, but blame the religious institutions, the theological schools and seminaries who ‘educate’ these ministers. Most of these schools of so-called higher learning are all compromised by sionists or sionist supporters. That’s where it begins and where it should end. My new spiritual awakening came, when I ask my heavenly Father for the truth. I first run into a lot of opposition, but I discovered over time that I was not alone. God will reveal Himself and His Truth to whosoever, providing they seek Him with sincerity of the heart.

I personally don’t know anyone who voted for Harper. I didn’t really see many signs on lawns for conservatives, in my city or Toronto. I think the entire thing was a scam top to bottom. They want Harper in power for when the US collapses and they look for an “interim” leader for the north american union. Canada will obviously lead it when the time comes. Very few people here support Harper. It really sucks cause its making us look like idiots and causing us to lose all of our respect we have worked hard over the years to obtain.

RR, Canada said,

Harper wants to spend $5 – $20 billion on new jails, while crime is at a 33-year low. He wants to put more kids in jail for smoking pot – that’s half the population of BC, at least. Or is this money for new concentration camps (North FEMA COMMAND)?